APSCo is facilitating the sharing of transferred #Levy funds to pay for new MBA programme

New Cranfield MBA programme in Human Capital to be funded through shared Apprenticeship Levy funds.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has partnered with one of the most internationally recognised and long-established management schools in Europe, Cranfield School of Management, and leading business and financial adviser, Grant Thornton UK LLP, to deliver the first ever Executive MBA in Human Capital.

The new programme – which is tailored for the recruitment and HR professions – meets the requirements of the UK Level 7 Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship Standard so that two-thirds of the cost of the EMBA in Human Capital can be covered through the initiative.

Since April 2019, levy-paying employers have been able to share up to 25% of their annual funds with other companies. This means that firms which cannot feasibly use their entire pots to upskill their own people – such as MSPs and umbrella companies – now have the option to put unused funds to good use, rather than sitting back and watching the cash expire.

APSCo is facilitating the sharing of these funds between its members. The trade association also has a number of £2000 bursaries to award in addition to the funding available through the apprenticeship levy to assist members in sending delegates. Together, these initiatives mean that the total cost of the programme is reduced from £27,000 to just £7,000.

The two year programme will develop employees’ leadership and business abilities with a specific focus on applying these skills in talent acquisition. Core modules include operations, marketing, strategic management, data analytics, leadership and finance before specialising in a number of specific modules which are tailored for the recruitment profession.

On the launch, Ann Swain, Global CEO at APSCo, commented: “In APSCo’s 20th year, the launch of this programme is both incredibly exciting and truly game-changing and we are extremely proud that we are able to bring a business qualification of this calibre to the market. Initial interest in the programme has been phenomenal and I am itching to welcome the first cohort of delegates in September as we take our next step towards demonstrating the undisputable professionalism of our sector.”

Yvette Cleland, CEO of recruitment consultancy Clinical Professionals, said: “This is what will make the recruitment profession a true profession – it’s landscape changing”

Kelly York, Divisional Managing Director of The Curve Group, who is joining the programme, added: “I’m extremely excited by the MBA which has just been launched through APSCo. I’ve been looking for a long time to start my MBA, but never quite found the one that suits me. And, actually, this really helps towards our industry and solidifies everything within recruitment.”

The first intake for the Executive MBA (Human Capital) is September 2019, then January, April and September each year.